Comparison of typical milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) components was made first among buttermilk, butter serum, a-serum and b-serum produced from caprine milk cream, then subsequently among effects of different demulsification treatments and ripening/churning conditions applied to cream on the resulting buttermilk. Of the four initial materials, buttermilk had the highest yield of MFGM components and best retention of bioactive MFGM proteins. For the resulting buttermilk, ripening followed by churning achieved a MFGM component content comparable with that achieved with freezing followed by churning, and higher than that achieved with ripening or freezing followed by heating. To maximise MFGM component content, ripening cream at 12 & DEG;C and pH 6.7 for 12 h in an uncycled mode was indicated. Following optimised ripening, laboratory-scale and small technical-scale churning achieved a comparable content of MFGM components in buttermilk. To further increase the yield of MFGM components, one-time butter washing following cream churning was indicated. & COPY; 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.